Disinfecting apparatus



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-.Sheet A1. J. H. SEMMES.

DISINPEGTING APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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(No ModeL) 2 Shams-Sheet 2.-

J. H. SEMMES.

DISINPEGTING APPARATUS. No. 566,628. Patented Aug. 26, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica JOHN HUBERT SEMMES, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPIt DISINFECTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,628, dated August 25, 1896. Application filed December 20, 1895. Serial Nol 572,766. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN' HUBERT SnMMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Fumigating and Disinfecting; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for fumigating and disinfecting buildings, such as meat-houses, chickenhouses, granaries, corn-eribs, and the like, and it may be used not only for fumigating or disinfecting the air in an inelosed space, such as a building, but it may also be used for fumigating and disinfecting the air in certain unhealthy localities, such as in the neighborhood of marshes, swamps, and other damp places, for the purposes of killing the germs of disease or insects which may hover around such localities.

My invention will be understood by refer'- ence to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views, and which illustrate my apparatus used in connection with inclosed buildings or outhouses.

Figure l represents a longitudinal sectional view of my improved apparatus, taken along the line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view through the furnace on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 represents a transverse sectional view through the double flue.

A represents a furnace-pit, and B represent-s the furnace proper. The pit A is provided With suitable Walls, and has a covered house or shed A built above it. This house has a close-fitting door A2, which, when closed, renders the house practically airtight. The iioor of this house or shed has an opening communicating with the pit A, and a trap-door a is provided for closing this opening. A ladder a'A is arranged beneath the trap-door, by means of which a man may climb down into the bottom A3 of the pit for the purpose of replenishing the fuel in the furnace, or for any other reason. The furnace B is Walled up on the sides sufficiently to support the arch b thereof, which is covered With earth, and is partially closed on its side next the pit A, leaving a suitable opening for access to the furnace from the pit for put-ting on fuel, rbc. The back of the furnace is not Walled, but consists of the bare earth. A suitable grate b is provided in the furnace B, and a trench h2, forming an ashspace, is provided beneath the said grate, and a cold-air duct or inlet b3 is provided Which leads from the open air to the ash-space beneath the grate and supplies cold air to the furnace. One or more fines C and O are laid in the ground from the top and back of the furnace beneath Whatever place is to be fumigated or disinfected, as, for instance, the buildings D, E, ands F, as shown in Fig.- l. The sides and top of these flues C and C are Walled with porous brick 0r stone, preferably laid dry and covered with earth, and the earth along the bottom of the fines is left bare, as shown at c, Fig. l, so that the heated air and smoke in their passage through the flues will absorb more readily the moisture and Whatever chemical substances there may be in the earth along the ilucs.

The fines communicate With the buildings or rooms D, E, and F by means of connecting-pipes d, c, and f, which enter the bottoms thereof, as shown in Fig. l.

In order that the smoke-fumes and other products of combustion from the ilues may be shut off from any one or more of the houses or buildings independently of the others, adamper, door, or cover, such as d', c', and f', is provided for each outlet-pipe d, e, and f, as shown most clearly in Fig. l.'

NVhatever substances or chemicals are to be used for fumigating or disinfecting the building or buildings may be thrown on the fire in the furnace, or it may be placed in the bottom of the pit A, or along the iiues, or mixed with the earth above the flues or furnace to be absorbed by the heat and smoke and conveyed to the desired outlet. Thus, for instance, sulfur lnay be placed iu the furnace and its fumes conducted to a poultry-house, corn-crib, or the like, for the purpose of killing or driving away the chicken-lice, Weevils, mice, or other vermin that are apt to infest such buildings. Any chemical that will give ICO o fumes under the action of heat may be so placed in the furnace, pit, or along the i'iues, or mixed With the earth covering the furnace or fines, that it will be absorbed by the heated air and smoke and carried to the desired outlet therefor.

My apparatus may also be used for drying and creosoting lumber by burning coal-tar in the furnace, or placing the tar along the flues and thus conducting the fumes thereof to the drying-room, wherein the lumber is piled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In an apparatus of the character de@ scribed, the combination with a pit having a tightly-closed house or shed built above the same, and having a iioor provided with an opening communicating with the interior of said pit, and a trap-door for closing said opening, and a furnace having an opening colnmunicating with the bottom portion of said pit; the said furnace being walled on two:l sides kand arched over on top, and covered 2 with earth; a grate located in said furnace; g

an ash-space formed beneath said grate; a cold-air duct entering the furnace beneath said grate; one or more iiues leading from the top and back of said furnace to the point 1 or points beneath the building or other place l to be fumiga-ted or 'disinfectech the said flue or iiues being located beneath the surface of I the ground and covered with earth; an Outlet-pipe leading from ea'ch of said iiues above g the surface of the ground, and provided with means for closing its outer opening, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pit formed in i the ground and having a covering therefor, i.

and means of access thereto; a furnace located beneath the surface of the ground and f covered with earth; an inlet for cold air entering said furnace beneath the grate there- 1 substantially as and for the 566, eyes of a flue built in a trench beneath the surface of the ground and leading from the upper back part of the furnace to the point to be fumigated or disinfected and composed of porous brick or stone laid dry to form the sides and top thereof, with the bare earth as the bottom; an outlet-pipe leading upward therefrom to the building or place to be fumigated; and devices for closing the outer opening of said outlet-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In `an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pit formed in the ground and having a tightly-closed house or shed built above the same provided with a floor having an opening therein communicating with the interior of said pit, and a trapdoor for closing said opening; a furnace located beneath th'e surface of the ground in juxtaposition to said pit and opening thereinto at one side; the said furnace having Walls on two sides and an arch above it supported by said side walls, and having' its back composed of bare earth; a grate in said furnace, an ash-space beneath s aid grate; a coldair duct 'entering said ash-space beneath said grate; of a flue built in a trench beneath the surface of the ground and covered with earth, leading from the upper back part of said furnace to the point to be fumigated or disinfected, and composed of porous brick or stone laid dry and forming the sides and top thereof, with the bare earth as the bottom; an outlet-pipe leading upward from said iue to the building to be fumigated; and a close-iitting cover for closing the end of said outlet-pipe,

purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HUBERT SEMMES.

Vitnesses:

JAMES M. MCBEATH, ROBT. E. LEE. 

